DC Velocity - November 2017

alliances

Online action sports retailer Freestyle Xtreme has implemented the Snapfulfil cloud warehouse management system to drive efficiencies in its global fulfillment operation. … Financial solutions provider Comdata has partnered with InMotion Global Inc. to offer its fleet and carrier customers InMotion’s AscendTMS transportation management system at no charge. … Ferrellgas Partners L.P., a provider of propane throughout the U.S., has expanded Descartes Systems Group’s Route Planner solution to its Blue Rhino division to enhance customer service across its national network for propane tank exchange. In other Descartes news, New Jersey-based BASF Corp., a producer and marketer of chemicals and related products, has deployed Descartes’ MacroPoint freight visibility solution across its supply chain, customer care, sales, and logistics business units. … Cloud Logistics has integrated its transportation management system with Truckstop.com’s RateMate, a spot market rate index that allows users to see rates paid and posted by brokers and carriers. … Systems integrator PeakLogix has entered into a partnership with Hytrol that allows PeakLogix to offer Hytrol’s advanced conveyor systems and controls as part of the customized solutions it provides to clients. … Logistics Plus Inc., a provider of transportation, logistics, and supply chain solutions, has been selected as an inaugural member of the new International Freight Logistics Network (IFLN) Global Projects network, representing Houston, Mexico City, New York City, and Monterrey (Mexico). … Fortna, a distribution consulting and engineering firm, and Llamasoft, a supply chain optimization software and solutions developer, have formed a partnership around Llamasoft’s supply chain optimization platform, including its flagship product, Supply Chain Guru. … Haulotte North America has selected Delta-Q Technologies, a manufacturer of battery charging solutions for electric drive vehicles and industrial machines, as a charging solutions supplier for its towable boom lift line. … Lift truck maker Crown Equipment Corp. has collaborated with the New Castle Career Center in New Castle, Ind., to train and prepare future manufacturing workers with necessary high-tech skills. … The U.S. Army 841st Transportation Battalion, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., moved helicopters and other equipment bound for a combat mission overseas through Jaxport’s Blount Island Marine Terminal. … Supply chain tracking and predictive analytics solution provider FourKites has entered into a partnership with SMC3, a less-than-truckload (LTL) data and application programming interface (API) solutions provider, that will allow FourKites’ customers to track all of their freight. … Commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions provider Ryder System Inc. has entered into an exclusive partnership with Aperia Technologies, a company that provides tire inflation solutions for tractors and trailers. Under the agreement, Aperia’s Halo Tire Inflator solution will become standard on Ryder’s heavy-duty commercial rental fleet vehicles.

Mobile technology provider Zebra

Technologies Corp. has launched a rugged handheld computer designed to run Google Inc.’s Android operating system (OS), the technology that many users are choosing for the latest generation of handhelds for enterprise applications.

Lincolnshire, Ill.-based Zebra said its TC20 computer is designed to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the indoor retail and hospitality sectors. To accommodate the SMB market’s need to balance cost and functionality, the device offers a built-in bar-code scanner and enhanced wireless connectivity, Zebra said. The handheld is designed to offer a user interface similar to consumer smartphones, featuring a 4.3-inch screen and models with either all-touch or “touch and keyboard” screens.

The computer also supports “push to talk” functionality that enables voice communication over wireless networks, and it can be outfitted with an attachment that supports radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag reading, writing, and locationing, Zebra said.

The product is Zebra’s latest rugged handheld computer designed to run Google’s Android OS instead of software from Apple Inc. or Microsoft Corp. Microsoft currently has a huge share of that market but is planning to “sunset” its support for that software by 2020, triggering many business customers to transition to Android’s offering.